St. Rose man gets life in prison for home invasion murder

A 27-year-old St. Rose man will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of a Hammond woman who was shot to death in a home invasion in 2009.

Police say that Jarris Monroe and two other men broke into the home of Grace and Anthony Lamonte on Aug. 23 to find the couple’s son, John. When the trio couldn’t find John Lamonte, who was in prison at the time, they instead shot his parents.

Even though Monroe pled guilty to the murder, he has maintained that he was not the shooter.

Grace Lamonte, 68, died from her gunshot wounds, but her husband, who was shot multiple times, survived.

Monroe’s jury trial was scheduled to begin on Aug. 12 and he would have faced the death penalty if convicted. Instead, Monroe pled guilty to first-degree murder on Aug. 9. He will serve his life sentence without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

According to Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney Scott Perrilloux, a condition of Monroe’s plea deal was that he must testify against Ronald Bandy Jr., who was also in the home at the time of the shooting.

The third defendant in the case, 29-year-old Deshan Flowers of Metairie, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in January 2012. He was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison and will also be expected to testify at Bandy’s trial.